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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. SNEE. ELEOTRIO RAILWAY SIGNAL PPARATUS,

N0. 431,408.. Patented July 1, 1890.

WITNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. SNEB.

BLEGTRIO RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 431,408. Patented July 1, 1890.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM SNEE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN- EIGHTHS TO JOHN A. SNEE AND ANSON P. NORTON, OF SAME PLACE.

.ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 1?atent No. 431,408, dated July 1, 1890.

Application filed March 4, 1890- $erial No, 342,590 (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ILLIAM SNEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway- Signal Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in signaling apparatus for block-system railways in which the cars passing over the rails open and close electric circuits, whereby electro-magnets are energized and armatures 00 nnected with the signaling devices actuated and the signals operated.

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a section of a railway, showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the signals and its operating devices. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing an automatic cut-off. Fig. 4 is a View showing auxiliary magnets for operating signals, switches, and other mechanism.

In the said drawings, the reference-numerals 1 and 2 designate the rails of a block-section of a railwayfconstituting a track for the cars. These rails are arranged so that those on one side break joints with those on the other, and each rail is electrically insulated from the adjoining ones. The block-sections are of such length as may be found desira ble. At the ends of each block-section are located the signals, which indicate. whether the track is clear or occupied. These signals may be of any ordinary construction, but preferably consist of .a shaft 3, supported in an upright standard 3 of frame 3, firmly secured alongside of or in proximity to the track, so that the signals may be easily seen by the engine-driver. At the upper end said standard is provided with a target 8 and a lantern 9 for indicating whether or not the track is clear in the ordinary manner. The lower end of shaft 3 is provided with a pinion 5, firmly secured thereto, which meshes with a rack or segment 6, connected with a lever 7, pivoted at its lower end to the frame 3, and which carries the armature by which it is actuated through the medium of the electrounagnets 10 10 and 12 12. ranged in pairs at each end of a block-sec tion, and the levers 7 are located between each pair. The magnets 10 and 10 are-electrically connected with each other by means of the conducting-wire 13, and 12 and 12 are connected by conductor 14, and are connected with the negative pole of the battery 18 by wires 16. As before stated, between each pair of magnets 10 10 and 12 12 are located These magnets are arthe armatures 15, secured to levers 7, so that as said magnets are energized by an electric current passed therethrough the armatures will be attracted toward the same, vibrating the levers and causing them to operate the signals.

The numerals 17 and 18 designate, respectively, positive and negative conductors located in proximity to the rails 1 and 2 and running alongside or above the tracks. They maybe carried overhead by poles, but are preferably properly insulated and placed un derground. They are connected, respectively, with the positive and negative poles of a bat tery or other generator, but are separated and disconnected from each other.

Connected with the positive conductor 17 are insulated rail-sections 19 19 at each end of the block-sections by means of the wires 16, and on the opposite side of the track are the insulated rail-sections 2O 20 and 21 21, breaking joints with sections 19 19, and connected, respeetively,with magnets 10 10 and 12 12.

The magnets 10 10 are provided with an automatic cut-off or circuit-breaker for making and breaking the connection with sections 20 20. This cut-off consists of a shaft 22, journaled in standards 23, which may be secured to the frame 3; or it may be journaled or pivoted directly in said frame. The shaft is provided with conductors or armatures 2 1, which are located in front of magnets 12 12. One of the ends of the shaft is formed into or provided with a lever 25, carrying an. adjustable weight 26, and is coni nected with wire 27 of magnets 10 10 by an ordinary binding-screw or other means 10- cated just above the plate 28, secured to wire 27, leading to rail-sections 20. The armatures 24 are in close proximity to magnets 12 12, so that as said magnets are energized by the electric current they will be attracted toward them, thus elevating levers and breaking the connection between magnets 10 10 and the rail-sections 20 20. When the current is shut off from magnets 12 12, however, the levers 25 will drop or fall by gravity, closing the connection between wires 27 27, thus establishing the circuit between the rail-sections 2O 20 and magnets 10 10.

The operation is as follows: Supposing a train to be traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, the signals standing normally at safety i. e., attracted by magnets 10 and 10no eifect is produced upon them when the train. connects 19 and 20; but as the train connects 19 and 21 a current is set up through 17 19, train 21, 30,12, 16, and 18, and also from 21 through 14, 12, 16, and 18.v The magnets 1.2 and 12 immediately attract armatures 24 and break circuits through magnets 10 and 10 by breaking connectionbetween wires 27 and 27. Then the armatures 15 immediately'pass from thedeenergized magnets 10 and 10 to the'newlyenergized magnets 12 and 12t'. e., from safety to danger. Now, as the train passes on toward the other end of the block the signals are retained at danger by the constant current kept up through magnets 12 and 12 by means of 17 41, train 14, 30, and 30, and 16 and 18, and finally by means of 17, 19 21mm, 16, and 18 and 21x14, 30,16,

and 18. Then as the last car leaves 19 and 21 thecircuit through magnets 12 and 12 is broken and said magnets derenergized. Then the weights 26 carry the wires 27 into contact with wires 27, and the circuit is set up through 19, train 20, 27,27,and 13, 27, 27, 10, and-102 16, and 18, thus-energizing magnets 10 and 10 and drawing the armatures 15 over to safety.

For the purpose of utilizing the full strength of the current from the generator for the purpose of operating the signals or switches or other mechanism, while a reduced current is employed to energize the magnets 10 10 and 12 12, I employ the modified form of devices shown in Fig. 4. In this case the levers 7, instead of being connected with the signal ingdevices, are connected by meansof insulated blocks 31, secured thereto, and condnctors 31 with the positive conductor 17, and 1' provide the auxiliary magnets 32 32, which are connected with negative conductor 18, and between these magnets 32 32 are located armatures 33, connected with a pivoted lever, (not shown,) but similar in every re spectto the levers 7, before described, which inturn are connected with the signaling or switch-operating devices. These magnets are provided with conductors 34 34, carrying contact-screws 35 35, and are connected with negative conductor 18 by wires 36 36. From this construction it will be seen that as the levers 7 are actuated to the right or left, as before set forth, the blocks 31 will come in contact with one or the other of the contact-screws 35 or 35, and thus establish the circuit and energize the corresponding magnets 32 or 32, which will attract armatures 33 and cause them to operate switch or signal mechanism. As seen in said figure, magnets 32 are shown to be energized, the circuit being from positive conductor 17 to wires 31, blocks 33, screws 35, conductors 34, magnets 32, and wires 36 to negative 18.

The numeral 40 denotes a condenser connected with positive conductor 17 and included in the circuit for the purpose of decreasing thecurrent supplied to magnets 10,

'10, and 12 12.

It sometimes-happensthat a train will part, or one or more cars break away or become detached, and the-accident not be discovered until after the locomotive and remaining cars have passed from the block-section. If no provision were made on such occurrences, se-

rious accidents might result, as the last car of the train leaving the section would set the signals, as before described, to indicate clear track for a following train, when,in fact, the

over-the magnets to prevent injury to themfrom the weather or from other causes, as or dinarily employed for suchpurpose in the usual constructions of these devices or mechanisms.

Having thus described my invention, whattwo sets of magnets located at each end of'a block-section and electrically connected together, of positive and negative conductors located in proximity to the tracks, rail-sec tions on one side of the track, connected with the positive COIldllOtOlQOIJPOSl'EG rail-sections breakingjoints therewith, connected with the reg magnets, armatures operating the signaling mechanism, located between each set of electro-magnets, and a cut-off for making and breaking connection between one of the magnets of each set and its corresponding rail.-

section, substantially as described 2. In an electric signaling apparatus, the combination, with the rails 1 and 2 and the conductors 17 and 18, running alongside thereof or in proximity thereto, of the rail-section 19 19, connected with conductors 17, rail-sections 20 20 and 21 21, magnets 10 10, connected with sections 20 20, magnets 12 12, connected with sections 21 21, wires 13 and 14, connecting magnets 10 10 and 12 12, respectively, automatic cut-offs actuated by magnets 12 12 to break the connections between magnets 10 10 and rail-sections 20 20,

and closing said connection by gravity, le-

sections 21 21, conducting-wires 13 14, connecting magnets 10 10 and 12 12, respectively, automatic cut-offs actuated by magnets 12 12 to break connections between'magnets 1O 10 and rail-sections 20 20, and closing said connections by gravity, levers 7, pivotedbetween magnets 10 12 and 10 12 and having armatures 15, the insulated rails connected with conductor 17, and the insulated rails on the opposite side of the track, connected with cond noting-wire 14, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM SNEE,

Witnesses:

BENNETT S. JONES, WM. F, FoLKa 

